Brooks Reed

Maybe the best way to handle Tarik Cohen is to put him in slo-mo for a few minutes. It's the only way to keep up. So here on a Thursday evening at Halas Hall, Cohen is staring at an iPad, assessing his first big run from his first NFL game.

Second quarter. Second-and-7, Bears 28. Toss left.

Quickly, three Falcons defenders infiltrate the backfield. Cohen is trapped.

The rookie running back's eyes bulge. He recalls the vision he had in that moment, stopping suddenly and seeing enough green grass the opposite way to work his magic.

"With how hard they pursued," Cohen says, "I could tell the back side was really weak."

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